The major objective of the Administrative Core is to maintain and build on a proven administrative structure and management plan that will be effective in implementing the goals of the Maine INBRE. The Administrative Core will engage all ME-INBRE institutions in a coordinated and efficient manner to stimulate progress and productivity in institutional development and research and training in comparative functional genomics. The Administrative Core provides administrative, scientific, and fiscal leadership, oversight, and logistical support for all INBRE activities. The Principal Investigator (PI) has primary responsibility for administering the program and overseeing the development ofthe INBRE. She is assisted by the Program Coordinator (PC), Director of Finance, Sponsored Programs Accountant, and an Executive Assistant. Decisions regarding overall direction and all activities of the INBRE, budgets, and core usage are made by the PI and PC with advice from the Core Directors, the Steering Committee, and the External Advisory Committee. Steering Committee members serve as liaisons between the PI and network institutions, and ensure implementation of activities and guidelines. The Administrative Core will implement programs to meet the research training, career development, mentoring, and infrastructure needs of faculty, students, and institutions in the network. The Research Training Director has responsibility for student research training, while the PC has responsibility for oversight of faculty programs. Infrastructure needs are identified and addressed in collaboration with the ME-INBRE Steering Committee. The Administrative Core will coordinate the networking, sharing of resources, and cross collaborations with COBREs and other INBREs. The Administrative Core will implement an evaluation strategy that will assess and guide Maine INBRE's progress toward strengthening Maine's biomedical research capacity and competitiveness. The evaluation plan includes rigorous formative and summative assessment that will determine the effectiveness of INBRE activities. To provide an independent evaluation of the INBRE, an external evaluation will be conducted by the External Advisory Committee and by a second, independent, external evaluation panel.